INC International Concepts

I’ve never been much of a fan of labels that have their brand logos plastered all over their stuff which I guess was also one of the reasons why I was initially so skeptical about Gucci’s recent rise back to the top of the designer fashion throne. Luckily though, Gucci majorly stepped up their design game over the last couple of years, reinvented itself in the process and readjusted the brand’s focus on the art of fashion and design rather than on relying on the outdated concept of high end fashion privilege. One of Gucci’s topsellers which all of you have probably seen like a million times by now in magazines, fashion blogs and on Instagram within the last two years is the now iconic double GG logo buckle belt by Gucci. Despite the heavy price tag of $450 for the big buckle version, it’s almost always sold out in stores. And I really wish I could hate on this Gucci belt hype because I feel like it has become so overexposed and almost ordinary by now, but d*mn, this belt still looks so effin’ fabulous, even after I’ve seen it on the 9.999th style blogger! I just can’t help but wanting to own one myself!

INC International Concepts Double Circle Belt

Update (08/19/2018): Spotted another fab Gucci GG belt look for less option! This double circle belt by INC is a great alternative which comes in either black or red genuine leather and is currently on sale for a little over $20 at Macy’s! Yay!

H&M Interlocking Ring Belt

So the reason why I have waited so long to finally do a Real vs. Steal feature on the Gucci GG buckle belt was because of this darn H&M belt. It was the first good dupe I have come across which happened to be already months ago, but before I could even write up a blog post for you, it was already completely sold out! So I bookmarked the product page and kept coming back to check whether H&M would restock the belt, which they did – several times even – but unfortunately I was always a little too late to notice. Whenever I looked, the belt was either already gone again or on the brink of selling out. I refused to give up however and finally, yesterday, when I hit up the product page for what must have probably already been the 100th time, I saw it: FULLY RESTOCKED with all sizes still being available! Determined not to miss out on this great steal deal opportunity once again, I decided to squeeze in a late night blogging session in order to finalize this Gucci designer dupe blog post. At $6.99 this is probably the closest and cheapest you’ll get to Gucci right now. Before publishing this post, I made sure to order two of these for myself first (one is a backup) because this affordable Gucci look-alike belt will probably sell out soon again. So don’t miss your chance to secure yourself a pretty amazing designer dupe for under $10, H&M might not restock it a further time. Also available in other colors.

Halogen Double Ring Leather Belt

Not a fan of faux leather and willing to invest more in exchange for a more durable designer dupe? Then look at this lovely Gucci inspired fine leather belt by Halogen which comes in either black, beige or fire red and costs $35 which I think is a fair price for a genuine leather belt!

Express Double O-Ring Belt

You can also get Gucci luxe for less with these fabulous Express circle belts which are available in either black or or cognac brown for $39.90 which I feel is a tad expensive for a faux leather option, but the quality looks pretty decent and with the promotions which Express seems to run a regular basis, they might be worth the splurge. But hurry, only a few sizes left!

River Island Double Ring Belt

Deal: Subscribe to the River Island newsletter and receive 10% off your order!

Another great and affordable Gucci belt alternative can be found at River Island. Their double ring buckle belt comes in a variety of colors (I counted 9 so far!), finishes and hardware (silver or gold) and retails for $24 ($28 for the faux croc version). Some sizes are already out of stock, so don’t wait too long if you find yourself fancying this designer dupe.

Miss Selfridge Circle Jeans Belt

Miss Selfridge offers yet another Gucci belt look-alike option for the budget-friendly price of £10 with all sizes (S, M, L) still being available as I am writing this. I really like this one because it’s designer inspired without being an obvious copy. And the price of £10 isn’t too bad either, of course!

Jomore GG-Buckle Genuine Leather Belt

Lastly, here’s another option I found at Amazon that highly borders on replica territory. These double GG buckle belts sold by seller Jomore are spot-on, come in two buckle sizes (0.9″ and 1.9″), various colors, are supposedly genuine leather and cost between $14.99 (small buckle) and $18.99 (big buckle). I’ve debated for quite some time whether to include these Gucci dupes in this post and lastly decided to show them to you because a) they are very affordable and b) they have many customer reviews with an average rating of 4/5 stars which I think is a very fair price for this kind of quality. But be sure to buy at your own risk!

Oh Balmain, how I love your sharp-tailored blazers! And apparently Kim Kardashian does just the same as she’s been spotted wearing this gorgeous military-inspired double-breasted leather blazer on at least 12 different outings. And if you follow Kim K.’s style, you’ll know how rare it is to see her wear something as bold as this blazer more than once, so she must be really in love with this particular piece. I so wish I could afford me some Balmain real deal goodness, but at $3.160 this isn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Kim Kardashian Loves Balmain

Veronica Beard Cooke Military-Style Blazer Leather Jacket

Update (09/01/2018): Came across these military-style blazer jackets by Veronica Beard and was instantly reminded of the Balmain leather jacket above. At $1.295 it’s quite a pricey look for less option, but one that is still more than 50% cheaper than the real deal. Available in black or dark green.

Missguided Faux Leather Military Blazer

Update (01/25/2017): Just spotted this lovely Balmain faux leather blazer dupe at Missguided which has a cool weathered look to it. Price: $34. Bonus: US students get a generous 30% student discount on their orders at Missguided!

Vakko for INC International Concepts Faux-Leather Blazer

While randomly browsing the big ol’ Internet today, I stumbled upon this chic faux leather blazer by INC International Concepts and it stopped me right in my tracks. Everything about it looked so familiar – the design, the colors, the silhouette – and after about five seconds it dawned on me: Balmain on a budget for sure! The original price for this piece used to be $169.50 which I find to be quite heavy for a *faux* leather blazer, but luckily it got marked down to a little over $100 as of now. So if you’re a passionate Balmain lover and are willing to invest a bit to get the coveted designer look, this is a great alternative.

Something about these Giuseppe Zanotti E30059 Rhinestone T-Strap Bow Sandals trigger a sort of nostalgia within me, and remind me of a fairy tale from when I was a little girl. I’m not sure whether it’s the superfluous amount of rhinestones, the pretty blue-green hue, or even the bow; but together, these three characteristics combine to make a beautiful shoe. Although they are out of my league budget-wise, they can add a certain feminine dimension to any outfit. On that note, take a look at the steal below!

Divine Follie Bow T-Strap Rhinestone High Heel Sandals

Update (08/19/2018): Didn’t expect to find so many of these Giuseppe Zanotti bow heel dupes after so many years, but look at these! They’re by Divine Follie and are on sale for affordable $24. Steal deal alert!

Luichiny Piper Zoe T-Strap Bow Sandals

In my opinion, this look-a-like by Luichiny is more wearable partially due to the higher heel in addition to the more overall, “grown-up” shape and structure. These “Piper Zoe” T-Strap Bow Sandals are clearly reminiscent of the Zanottis above and definitely do not lack in any of the main characteristics that are the ultimate details. Besides the way more affordable pricing of $58.99 (sale price!), these sandals are available in an array of colors for every occasion, wardrobe and style. Although I really love this bright blue tone, they also come in black, ivory, fuchsia, and blush satin.

Stuart Weitzman + over-the-knee boots is apparently a foolproof formula for commercial success! Don’t believe me? Just look at all the various fab fashion bloggers rocking their Stuart Weitzman OTK boots below! It all started with the iconic “5050” and is now followed by Weitzman’s next set of super hit boots: the “Highland” (which we have already written about a few weeks ago, see the post here) and the “Lowland” which we are featuring in today’s Real vs. Steal post. Both boots are almost identical in design, but have either a flat heel (Lowland) or a high heel (Highland, d’uh!). It’s certainly not the first pair of OTK suede boots we’ve seen come out in the last couple of years, but definitely the most successful and coveted one (we’re still counting the reader requests for this one). As with Stuart Weitzman shoes in general, they don’t come cheap. Especially not the boots and especially not the over-the-knee kind of boots. These beauties here – please hold your breath here – cost $798! Yup, I cried a little too when I saw that price tag. Luckily, we were able to find a couple of fantastic dupes that will save you the trouble of having to rob a bank to sport this season’s hottest trend.

Kaitlyn Pan Flat Microsuede Over The Knee Boots

Update (12/23/2017): Totally forgot to tell you about these gorgeous Lowland dupes by one of my favorite designer dupe brands: Kaitlyn Pan! These come in five colors (black, taupe, grey, burgundy and army green) and cost only $100 which is a more than fair price for the quality you’ll get with these boots. Kaitlyn Pan were nice enough to send me a pair of these boots for review and as usual I haven’t been disappointed! So much attention to detail and totally worth their money! Don’t believe me? Have a look at the over 300 raving customer reviews with an average of 4.6 stars for these designer dupe boots!

Royou Yiuoer Flat Over The Knee Boots

Update (12/23/2017): Don’t want to spend that much? These OTK flat boots by Royou Yiuoer would also make a great alternative to the pricey Weitzmans. And there are so many lovely colors to choose from! Steal deal alert!

Catherine Catherine Malandrino “Morcha” Over The Knee Boots

Update (03/17/2017): Stumbled upon these budget-friendly Lowland boot look-alikes by Catherine Catherine Malandrino which are currently on sale for less than $50 and come in either black, grey, taupe, nude and burgundy faux suede.

River Island Over The Knee Flat Boots

Update (11/25/2016): Also discovered these flat OTK boot SW Lowland alternatives at River Island which are on sale for $70. I actually snapped this deal up myself and am quite happy with these faux suede over-the-knee boots.

Buffalo Flat Overknee Boots

INC International Concepts “Imannie” Flat Over-The-Knee Boots

Update (11/21/2016): Stumbled upon another lovely Lowland look-alike boot by INC International Concepts which – judging by the customer reviews – would be best suitable for petite women as these are not quite as OTK as the name would suggest.

275 Central 1603 Flat Suede OTK Boots

Update (11/17/2016): If you’re looking for a high-quality Lowland dupe and are ready to invest (but not quite as much as $798), you might want to check out these genuine suede OTK boots by 275 Central. They do cost $500350 which is obviously a lot of money, but they will still save you $298 $518 compared to the real deal.

Unisa “Adivan” Faux Suede Flat Over-the-Knee Boots

Update (11/17/2016): These flat faux suede OTK boots by Unisa are another Lowland look-alike favorite of mine because they look so much like the real deal, but are also so affordable (under $70). Steal deal alert!

Style Charles “Groove” Faux Suede Over-the-Knee Boots

Update (10/03/2016): I think it’s pretty safe to say that Stuart Weitzman’s Low- and Highland Over-The-Knee Boots are officially getting just as popular as his highly coveted 50/50 OTK boots a few years ago! Check out these fab Lowland dupes by Style Charles which I have come across at JCPenney.

Vince Camuto “Crisintha” Over-the-Knee Flat Boots

Update (10/03/2016): Here’s a set of high quality SW Lowland look-alikes by Vince Camuto. They’re a bit expensive at $179 (now on sale for $77.73), but they look so luxurious. My personal fave is the taupe color!

Circus by Sam Edelman “Peyton” Stretch Over-the-Knee Boots

Update (10/03/2016): If you’re looking for a way to save while still be on trend, here’s a great budget steal deal c/o Circus by Sam Edelman. The “Peyton” OTK boots are a great Lowland alternative which are currently on sale for under $80 at Amazon and which come in either black or grey faux suede.

Sam Edelman “Paloma” Suede Over-the-Knee Boots

Update (08/28/2016): Found yet another great Stuart Weitzman Lowland dupe today! Check out these fab microsuede OTK boots by Sam Edelman. They look so much like the real deal, don’t you think? Available in black or grey for $175.

Charles by Charles David “Gunter” Over the Knee Boots

Update (08/28/2016): And here’s another great Lowland boot alternative! It’s by Charles by Charles David and currently on sale for less than $80 at Last Call by Neiman Marcus (retail price: $159) and comes in black, taupe, merlot red or dove grey microsuede.

Dolce Vita “Neely” Flat Over-The-Knee Boots

My personal favorite first: the “Neely” boot from Dolce Vita, a spot-on “Lowland” dupe with very positive customer reviews for roughly 1/4 of the real deal’s price. At $200, it sure isn’t a steal find and probably won’t be an impulse buy for anyone here, but if you like the style I suggest you better hurry up with your purchase.

Aldo “Barra” Lace-Back Suede Over-The-Knee Boots

Next up is a boot by Aldo. “Barra” is also spot-on in terms of design when compared to the Lowland. It’s $110 cheaper than the Dolce Vita version, but the reviews for this one are also rather mixed. Anyway, if you want to give it a try, these boots come in either taupe or black suede.

Steve Madden “Odina” Flat Suede Over-The-Knee Boots

Of course Steve Madden couldn’t miss the opportunity to join in on this knock-off game as well! “Odina”, like the other Lowland look-alikes above, is nearly identical to the real deal, but costs only $149.95$75 ( on sale!). Though I do have to add that this boot has a fabric upper unlike the dupes above which are made of genuine leather.

Choies Stretch Suedette Over-The-Knee Boots

Still not in the mood to pay that much for faux leather boots? Well, then how about these Lowland dupes by Choies for a little over $50? Same design, veeeeery different price tag and the customers seem to love this one, too.

Schutz “Lois” Suede Flat Over-The-Knee Boots

And lastly, Schutz. Another absolutely fabulous and spot-on look for less alternative for Stuart Weitzman’s “Lowland”. And not too expensive either at $125 (sale price!) as well! Unfortunately though, they’re almost sold out at Shopbop and I couldn’t find any other retailer stocking this beautiful boot (boohoo!).

Great flats are hard to find. Especially ones that will look chic even with work attire. These ballerinas by Valentino are perfect to wear with chic cigarette pants to the office and look just as fantastic with leggings and a tunic on the weekend. The studs give them a little bit of a vampy edge while the color makes fair-skinned legs look longer. There is even a tiny hint of a heel to balance them out and provide an extra bit of polish. But even though they are quite gorgeous, they are also a little too expensive for everyday flats. The concept is not completely lost though; there are at least a couple inspired-by versions out there for way less. Keep scrolling down for more tips and info on where to find them!

Royou Yiuoer Studded Pointy Ballerina Flats

Update (12/19/2017): Royou Yiuoer strikes once again! Found these super spot-on Valentino flat dupes at Amazon which come in 17 different colors, uppers and finishes, are made of leather and cost $54.99. Looks like this could be quite the designer dupe deal!

Katypeny Studded Pointed Toe Flats

Update (03/29/2017): Stumbled upon yet another awesome set of spot-on Valentino Rockstud dupes today! They’re by a brand called Katypeny and come in a variety of 16 different color combinations which are all made of faux leather. Price point: $35.99 – $39.99. I wouldn’t expect the highest product quality, but customers seem to be mostly satisfied with their $40 designer alternatives.

SheIn Pointed Toe Studded Flats

Update (07/20/2016): Spotted another very pretty and very budget-friendly Valentino Rockstud alternative today! Available at SheIn in either black, white rose or hot pink faux patent leather for $23.99! Yay to this steal deal!

Kaitlyn Pan Pointed Toe Studded Ballerina Leather Flats

Update (02/19/2016): Well, hello there, super mega perfect Valentino Rockstud dupes! Kaitlyn Pan strikes again. Absolutely adore these spot-on genuine leather ballet flats which are currently on sale for a little over $100 which I think is a fair price for this kind of quality shoe! Also available in various other colors and uppers.

Roberto Festa 6005 Pointed Toe Studded Flats

Update (02/19/2016): Also spotted these amazing Valentino inspired Italian flats by Roberto Festa. At $298 they are everything but a steal (now on sale for $149!), but they are almost $450 $596 cheaper than the real deal and they’re made in Italy afterall, so the quality should be superb. Also available in other colors (Yoox).

Skechers Cleo Studded Ballet Flats

Bongo MaryKate Studded Ballet Flats

Update (08/08/2015): OMG! I just spotted these cute Valentino Rockstud ballet flat dupes by Bongo and went almost hysteric when I saw the price. $14.99, people! I think this has to be our cheapest steal find yet. Better snap them up quick, all sizes are still available as I am writing this.

Jessica Buurman CARRIE Studded Ballet Flat Sandals

Update (01/25/2014): Found another great Valentino ballet flat dupe at Jessica Buurman! They’re currently on sale for $109 and come in a variety of colors including lavender (my personal fave!), white, pink, green, yellow and more. Use promo code EXTRA20 for 20% off your order at Jessica Buurman (limited time offer).

Nine West Surrender Studded Flats

C Label Hudson 10 Studded Ballerina Flats

This first version by C Label has the same studs as the original as well as the beautiful overall shape and construction. The small difference is their slightly higher heel which I love because even though flats are phenomenal for long days on your feet, that extra half inch goes a long way. But that definitely wouldn’t change how you’d wear them; they would still be perfect with skinny or tailored boot cut trousers and a feminine blouse for work. Just throw on a colorful cardigan and instantly feel inspired by a fresh new take on a little 1950’s glamour.

GoJane Studded Flats

The second option we found is from GoJane, and at under $25 for the pair, you can be sure you’re getting a steal. This style works especially well when worn with jeans and a tee for running errands or grabbing brunch or coffee over the weekend with friends. The cut of the shoe is the exactly same as the designer version, the only difference is the hardware and studs, which are more modest in design. But while the other styles might be dressier, these still look sharp and classic; plus your feet will thank you for giving them a day of rest once in a while.